you! I was afraid I should never see
you!" exclaimed Sue, rushing up to the young man, and extending both her
hands, which he felt compelled to accept.

He was fearful that she would kiss him; and, though he would have been
under obligations to submit to the infliction, he was not sure that the
operation would not cause him to faint. Fortunately for him, Sue was
reasonable in her behavior; and he escaped cheaper than he expected, when
he beheld the impetuous charge which the maiden made upon him. If he had
really been Allan Garland, his reception would have been entirely proper,
and highly creditable to the affectionate nature of the Virginia damsel.
He was not the young gentleman from Alabama; and he felt as though he had
been flanked on both sides, with no chance to beat off the enemy in
front, or to run away in the rear. He was only a short distance from a
line of rebel sentinels, and he did not consider it prudent to escape by
taking to his legs. He did not wear his fighting socks at this time, and
felt that it would be no disgrace to run away from such an enemy as that
which confronted him.

"I am very glad to see you, Allan," repeated Sue, as the wretched young
man did not venture to use his tongue.

"Thank you, thank you, Miss Raynes!" said he at last, when silence seemed
even more dangerous than speech.

"Miss Raynes! Dear me, Allan, how very formal and precise you are! You
called me Sue in your letters."

"Did I? Well, I didn't know it," replied Somers with a stroke of candor
not to be expected under the circumstances.

"Certainly you did. I don't think you ever mentioned such a person as
Miss Raynes."

"I am confident I didn't," added he with another touch of candor. "But I
will always call you Sue hereafter, when I have occasion to speak to
you."

"Thank you, Allan! You begin to sound a little like yourself."

Somers was very glad to hear it, but wished he had been five miles off,
even if it had been in the very jaws of the Fourth Alabama.

"You don't look a bit like your photograph," continued Sue, gazing with
admiration at the face of the young man; for which those who ever saw
Lieutenant Somers will cheerfully pardon her.

"Do you think so?"

"I'm sure you don't."

"That's very strange. Everybody who has seen my photograph says it looks
exactly like me."

"I don't think so."

"I gave one to a young lady of my acquaintance, who said it was perfect."

"Indeed! Who was she?"

"She is a